


The Apple Of His Father’s Eye

by chiakansreal



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Family, M/M, Violet Evergarden AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:54:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23546470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiakansreal/pseuds/chiakansreal
Summary: “What is your name?”The boy blinks back, before snuggling back up against Keito, and whispering very softly,“Souma Kanzaki.”**Keito takes in Souma, and watches him grow over the years.This is part of a larger Violet Evergarden Au me and my friend (who also drew my icon) made up together! Knowledge on Violet Evergarden isn’t needed, just know there’s war mentions at the beginning.
Relationships: Hasumi Keito & Kanzaki Souma, Hasumi Keito/Kiryu Kurou (implied)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34





	The Apple Of His Father’s Eye

Keito Hasumi is not an ideal father figure. He doesn’t give hugs, he doesn’t give out head pats or slaps on the back, and he most certainly does not give out obligatory praise. He hides his emotions behind the glare of his glasses, barking out commands to his squadron, making it clear he will not allow missteps.

But if that’s the case, why is he cradling this child- he found him after the most recent battle- so gently? The boy stirs in his arms, clinging onto Keito. Keito doesn’t try to pry him off; he already tried that, and now the whole squadron had blackmail material for the scary commander.

Incorrigible.

“Child,” Keito tests out, the world rolling out of his tongue uncomfortably. The purple haired (surely that can’t be natural) boy looks up at him with big, sentimental eyes.

Keito stares back at him- because if this enigma of a toddler wants a staring contest, he’ll give him a staring contest. Instead, the boy reaches his hands out and squeezes Keito’s cheeks.

This is very, very foreign territory.

Keito pinches at his temples and tries to talk as seriously as he can, knowing he could very well break the kid’s wrist if he tried to pry pushed his hands off his cheeks.

“What is your name?”

The boy blinks back, before snuggling back up against Keito, and whispering very softly,

“Souma Kanzaki.”

**

Keito took in Souma without a hitch, much to the surprise of literally everyone who knew him. His childhood friend, Eichi Tenshouin, was especially incorrigible.

“Wow! I didn’t think you’d consider a human a pet, Keito!” Eichi said cheerily, waving at Souma innocently. Luckily, Keito had taught Souma well, and he rejected Eichi.

Unluckily, Souma was a clingy child, so he dashed towards Keito’s legs instead. He clung onto them with strength that should not belong to a seven year old, and Keito felt his ankles would break at the pressure.

Considering he was a seasoned military veteran, that was saying something.

Eichi pouted like the petulant child Keito knew he was, and crossed his arms.

“I’m a trustworthy adult! Come here, Souma~”

Souma’s grip on Keito’s legs only got stronger. Keito winced outwardly in pain, reaching a hand down to run his fingers through Souma’s hair. Souma’s head shot up, rambling at the speed of light.

“He is a villain, is he not, Hasumi-dono? You always complain about him!”

Eichi’s eyes narrowed at Keito. Keito shook his head, muttering a barely audible “incorrigible”, and bent down to Souma’s level.

“Even so, you need to have manners.”

Souma puffed his cheeks out, shaking his head.

“Villains don’t deserve that! Hasumi-dono, how could you-“

Keito gently cupped Souma’s cheeks in his hands, ignoring Eichi’s offensively loud gasp at the tender gesture. To be honest, he was surprised at himself as well.

“Call me father, Souma,” he said softly, watching as Souma’s eyes widened in shock. The little boy nodded slowly, taking it in.

“Fat… her. Father.”

(When Souma ran off to go play in the temple, Keito swore he wasn’t misty eyed at all, but Eichi saw it all.)

**

“Father, I want to learn how to cook.”

Keito looked at eleven year old Souma with tired eyes, putting his glasses back on and bending down to his level.

“You’re still too short to reach the stove, Souma,” he pointed out the boy, reaching down to ruffle his hair but Souma batted his wrist away with his fake toy sword.

“That will not stop me! You know the invention of the stool, yes?”

Keito faltered and got up, holding his hand out for Souma to hold onto. Predictably, Souma took it. He let his dad lead him into their kitchen, and he rushed to the stove. He held the counter and stood on his tippy toes, and Keito could already see his imagination was swimming with recipes.

“Hibiki can teach you, if he ever comes around-“

“I will learn by trial and error, father! You cannot wait any longer!”

Keito sat down at the table, amused.

“Why me- I thought you wanted to learn how to cook for yourself?”

Souma turned to Keito, stars in his eyes.

“I want to cook so father never gets tired ever again! I want to see father smile every day!”

(And let it be known only to them, that Keito has never hugged anyone tighter than he did with Souma then.)

**

Keito fastened the ribbon on Souma’s ponytail carefully, even if he knew by now that Souma would thrash about if the hair tie was too tight or not. This hairstyle would be more practical for cooking anyway, a skill he was slowly building mastery in.

He put his hands on Souma’s shoulders, disregarding the fact this really was too sappy for him, and asked him quietly,

“Do you like it?”

Fourteen year old Souma ran his fingers through the thin but compact ponytail thoughtfully, before turning back to his father with an earnest smile.

“I love it, father.”

Keito pulled him in for a hug wordlessly.

**

“Souma! It’s time to come back inside now!”

A seventeen year old Souma dismounts his beloved horse, Saigoudon, and gently leads him into the pasture. After doting on the beloved equine with treats like apples and hay, he hurries inside- swapping his real sword for one of the fake ones his father prefered to be carried around the house.

(It was truly kind of his father to accommodate his needs!)

He hummed as he made his way around the house, peeking around every corner to find the busybody that was his father.

He was surprised to find that he wasn’t actually working for once- instead, talking to a man Souma recognized as general Kiryu. They were talking rather animatedly in fact, and that was all the more cause for Souma’s heart to race.

(Even though it was ten years earlier, Souma wouldn’t forget the wistful look on his father’s face as he thumbed a framed photo of a man who Souma had never seen before.)

However, this time around, he knew general Kiryu was a man to be trusted. Almost being a grown up himself, no matter how much Keito would keep doting on him, he understood love when he could see it.

He quickly left the house and prepared his horse for an impromptu city watch ride.

(Keito would lecture him the next morning on his rash decisions, but Souma was too tuned out upon seeing the two wine glasses in the sink.)

**

“This will get the creative juices flowing, I promise you! I would never lie to my dearest rival!”

Keito grimaced at his words, tugging at his collar. Participating in a stupid play… only because he couldn’t resist Souma’s puppy dog eyes, even twenty one years later.

Wataru laughed at his expressions (he always found him amusing), putting his hand on the large, wooden double doors behind him.

“Whatever lies here is fake, okay? The immersion may pull you in, but just keep that in the back of your mind-“

“I understand- don’t patronize me,” Keito cut him off bluntly, wondering just what would warrant this warning from a weirdo like Wataru.

Maybe it’s Eichi in a hospital bed. Kuro saying he wants a divorce? A petty recreation of a battlefield.

He didn’t have time for more thoughts as he was harshly pushed inside by Wataru, getting locked in by the doors.

There, truly, was his greatest fear. Souma laid in a pool of his own blood, his eyes glazed.

(Keito would later learn that it was just wine and berries, and Souma was wearing contacts.)

Keito rushed to his side, his breathing having already become labored. He cupped Souma’s face, and Souma relaxed into it.

The exact opposite of what he wanted.

“Souma,” his voice shook as he removed his son’s hands over his chest- meeting what was undeniably a gunshot wound through his chest.

(Really, it was just amazing costume work and make up by Anzu.)

“Father…” Souma rasped out weakly, his fingers twitching as he met Keito’s eyes. Keito sobbed, intertwining his fingers with Souma’s cold ones.

“No, you’re not dying, you’re not,” Keito yelled, ignoring how Souma winced at his volume. His voice wavered as he cradled Souma in his arms, his mind in a flurry of what to do.

So much blood- he needs to make it- Keito needs him to make it-

His mind comes to a pause as he feels Souma’s cold, freezing hand meet his cheek weakly.

“I wish…”

“I won’t let you go this way- I won’t, I promise to you-“

“I could call you father one last time…”

Souma went limp in his arms at that statement, and Keito felt his whole world collapse. He sobbed and wept over his son’s body, holding his body so close.

Wataru clapped loudly, coming into the room.

“What a breathtaking performance-“

Keito couldn’t hear him over his own sobs, pausing only as he began to feel Souma squirming in his arms.

“Father…?”

He suffocated him in a hug.

(Keito still participated in the play, but for that whole week he was more protective of Souma than he ever has been before.)

**

“And it’s finished.”

Souma marveled at his reflection in the mirror, running his fingers delicately over the flowers Keito has carefully braided in his signature ponytail. The one Keito gave him all those years ago.

“Father…”

Keito smiled and placed a hand on Souma’s shoulder, squeezing it gently.

“I’m going to miss your cooking, Souma. Just because I’m handing you over to your husband doesn’t mean you can just leave me, I hope you know that.”

Souma sniffled and willed himself not to cry, taking his father’s hand in his.

“Of course- I am not so ignorant as I was years ago! I will never stop protecting you, father.”

He shifted his other hand onto the prop sword he had attached to his suit, he had insisted on it to Anzu, and she had given in.

Keito sighed wistfully and ran his fingers through Souma’s hair one last time.

“I love you, Souma.”

Souma’s response came not even a second later.

“I love you more, father.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! I hope you enjoyed the story!! I have many feelings for AKATSUKI family... many thoughts, head way too full.
> 
> Other things not included in the story that yours truly didn’t fit in, but still think is neat:  
> -Souma named his first, and most precious, prop sword after hasumi-dono because he loves his dad  
> -Souma and Adonis are childhood friends! Adonis is Souma’s only friend for a long time.  
> -Keito bought Saigoudon as a pony for Souma as a birthday gift, so Souma’s grown up with the fella for quite a while.
> 
> Once again, thank you for reading! If you have any more questions for this au and what other characters are doing, I wouldn’t mind answering! Don’t forget to leave comments and kudos, they keep me going!! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)


End file.
